White Chocolate Cranberry Saffron Treasures
White Chocolate Cranberry Saffron Treasures have the perfect combination of festive flavors and are sure to become a holiday favorite!
White Chocolate Cranberry Saffron Treasures are holiday cookies that have evolved over the 30-plus years I have been making them. The current iteration has the “treasured” Scandinavian ingredient, saffron, which compliments the white chocolate in such a fragrant and festive way. Saffron adds a slightly exotic flavor and a beautiful golden color, treasured by Scandinavians during the bleak, dark winter. The cookies are easy to make and are special because they take advantage of the fresh cranberry season.
The Ingredients for White Chocolate Cranberry Saffron Treasures:
The cookies have a dough similar to a basic chocolate chip cookie dough with butter, brown sugar, flour and egg. These can also be made gluten-free by using a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix (I have tested this with King Arthur “Measure for Measure” and the cookies turn out nicely!)
White chocolate chips or chunks, fresh cranberries, orange zest and saffron threads soaked in hot milk give the festive seasoning and golden color. For more on saffron, read here.
Baking the cookies:
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop walnut-sized balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for about 7 minutes depending on size and should cool briefly on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack. I like making a smaller size for my annual holiday treat plates.
Store the cookies under refrigeration due to the fresh cranberries. They also freeze beautifully and can be made in advance of your holiday celebrations.
These cookies are perfect for holiday parties, so a lovely and festive wine pairing I recommend is the Victorine de Chastenay Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé. I love this sparkler produced with 100% Pinot Noir from Burgundy. It has crisp texture and vibrant tart red berries. The hints of orange zest and juicy finish make for a lovely match to the sweet-tart flavors of the cookies. Made using the traditional method, Crémant de Bourgogne shares similarities to its famous Champagne neighbors to the north, but usually at a fraction of the price!
White Chocolate Cranberry Saffron Treasures
Equipment
- Cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon milk, warmed
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed
- Grated zest of 1 large orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a small bowl mix together the warm milk and saffron threads. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to extract color.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in the saffron and milk. Finish by adding white chocolate, cranberries and orange zest.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and drop heaping tablespoons of dough (or use a small cookie scoop) onto prepared sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on size of cookies.
Notes
Festive Pairing:
- The Victorine de Chastenay Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé has crisp texture and vibrant tart red berries. The hints of orange zest and a juicy finish make this bubbly a lovely match to the sweet-tart flavors of the White Chocolate Cranberry Saffron Treasures.
